Expansion-joint for steam and other pipes



1 Q "(No Model.)-

I I T w.- DUFFY. EXPANSION JOINT FOR STEAM AND OTHER PIPES.

Patented Jan. 27, 1885.

UNITED STATES PATENT rF-icE,

, THOMAS WILLIAM DUIIFY, or new YORK, N. Y, ASSIGNOR TO THE NEW" YORK STEAM COMPANY, on NEW roan. I

EXPANSIQNQOINTVFOR' STEAMAND OTHER PIPES.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 311,1'78Idated January 27, 1885.

Application filed March 2, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that -I, THOMAs'WILLIAM DUFFY, late of Liverpool, Lancashire, England, now residing in New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Expansion-Joints for Steam Pipes and other Pipes, of which the following is as'pecification.

I have devised improved means for providing rigid'and reliable flanges at the ends of a short length 'of thin tubing, which tubing is corrugated circularly, either in a continuous helical corrugation or in the form of rings. In what I esteem the most complete form of the invention the stout flanges are extendedwithin abetube ndnotonlysnpportthe corrugated tube, but also support an internal cylindrical tube, which is loosely mounted, with liberty to slide in its connections with the flanged metal at one end or both ends, and forms asmooth,uniform surfaceforthe flow of steam or other fluid through the expansion-joint. The

corrugations in the main portion of the thin pipe expand and contract, while the flanged ends are rigid and absolutely unyielding.

Parts of the invention may be used without the whole. Ipropose to form the flanged end onacorrugated tube by simply thickening, or by welding, brazing, or otherwise attaching a piece of ri gid metahor by employing thick material for the ends of the corrugated tube,so that these ends, beiugsimply spread and brought to the proper position, serve as rigid flanges, while the body 0! the tube is so thin and so much corrugated as'to yield to the forces impressed and serve as an expansion-joint. I can make the flanges by soldering or brazing a thin tube directly to a thick ring, serving as the flange. I can use hard or soft solder inconnecting a corrugated thin tube with a flange having an internal extension, as just described. The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification, and represent what I consider thebest means of carrying out the invention.

All the figures are central longitudinal sections. Each shows one of the-flanged ends. It will be understood that in each the opposite end has a corresponding flange and aceom- 1 panying parts.

plete form of the invention.

Figure 1 shows what I esteem the most com- I Figs. 2 and 3.-

represent modifications containing portions ofv the invention.

Similar letters of reference indicate corref spending parts in all the figures where they occur.

I have in an allowed application filed cember 4, 1882, Serial No. 78,367, shown. a..:,

thin tube corrugated helically or screwwise,

strongly set'within rigid flanges of cast-iron entirely exterior thereto. Such construction or other suitable material, which'are provided 1 is not sought to be covered in this application. My present invention is intended to overcome some'of the difficulties connected therewith.

February 21, 1882, No. 253,917, there is set forth, in connection with one or more extended diaphragnis of annular form, a plane cylin drical tube allowed to slide, as the expansion 71 and contraction of the joint shall require,

That internal tube performed the important} function of leading currents of steam or other fluid through the expansion-joint without allowing it to impinge against the re-enter-.

ing angles and! roughnesscs oli'cred by the interior of the chamber. My present improve ment is another method of applying a COIIGH sponding loosely-fitted internal tube within I my circumfereutially-corrugated tube. I allow both ends of the internal tube to be mounted loosely, so that it can play.

Referring to Fig. 1, Ais a tube of copper or other suitable material corrugated in a continuous spiral or screw-thread, with each ex;

' heat sufficient to melt' the tin and sweat.

v In apatent issued to Charles EEmery, dated the surfaces together. Additional tin orsolder may be applied to-entirely till the slight space between the parts. This may be conveniently attained by immersing the entire end of the tube A A and properly-placed thimble and tlangeB I) in a kettle of melted solder. On properly wiping the compound joint and allowing the parts to cool a perfect union will be attained. C is a plain cylindrical or ordinary tube of iron, copper, or other suitable material. It is tit-ted in a deep end groove, 1), formed in the thimble B, with freedom to move deeper into and to be drawn partially out of said groove, as required by the endwise expansion and contraction of the several parts. 1) is a ring or follower adapted to press lirmly against the outer face of the flange 1) is a. bolt, of which there may be any number required, inserted through the flange B at proper distances apart, and through the flange of an adjacent length of ordinary castiron pipe or other rigid pipe, to which this device maybe required to be attached. E are nuts fitted thereon. \Vhen the device is put in use, the nuts E are turned to press the follower l) tightly against the flange.

Referring to Fig. 2, there appears the thin pipe A A, corrugated and flanged as before; but in this form the corrugations need not be spiral or sficw wise. They maybe plain rings. In other words, the pipe A may be alternately of larger and smaller diameter, taking care to form the circular grooves and ridges with a properly-curved outline, so that the expan- Sim. and contraction shallbc. distributed and not concentrated at any particular lines, so as to induce fracture. In this figure, 13' is a stout flange of cast-iron. is a follower held by bolts E and nutsl'). asin the other form. In this form the adjacent surfaces of A and B should be tinned and applied together with heat and additional solder, so as to form a tight and reliable joint; but it is important that. the tinning shall not extend too far inward, for

- reasons which will presentlyappear. The surface ofB should be carefully fitted to that of A, especially at the inner edge.

Referring to Fig. 3, there appears thesame circularly-corrugated part, A, corrugated either helically or in plain rings; but instead of the compound flange 'in't-he preceding tig-.

urcs there is here only a single flange, represented as a thick portion of the same metal,

I A. The pipe maybe so constructed, using material which is of sullicient tliickness at the ends, and carefully manipulating to preserve the thickness atthose portions, while the main body of the tube alone is nuide thin,

. thickened only in the innnediatc vicinity Off fimtheflauge.

- o! construction here. shown may be adopted I believe that either of the modes with some success; but; I prefer the construction shown in Fig. l, for the reasou, among others, that it supports the internal smooth.

tube, (3, and offers less resistance by eddies and friction to the flow of fluid through the joint. Packing may be introduced under the followers D in any case when desired. Itiisi' -not absolutely.necessary that the parts A and I B shall be sweated or otherwise so I970 dered. The pressure induced by the follower D may be relied on to form a suflieientl y tight joint, packing being introduced between the flanges A and. B when desired.

Further modifications may be made in the forms and proportions.

I believe that good copper, originally of proper thickness and frequently annealed dnr-', ing the treatment, may be thrown into muclx deeper corrugations than here shown. I prq 8 pose to corrugate as deeply as is found practicable. y

The capacity of the device for a large amount of expansion: and contraction obviously depends much on the depth of the cor- 8 rugations; but care must betaken not to draw the metal at any point so as to make it too thin. vThere must be a liberal margin of safetyt'o resist the pressure of steam or other fluid to which it is ever to be subjected.

I can counterbore the thimble B instead of producing the end groove, 1). t

It will be understood without illustration r that ifthe thin wall of metal between the deep groove 1) and the inner surface of the thimble B is removed the tube 0 will remain. in very nearly its present position, and that it will be restrained from too great end-mo- 7 tion by abutting looselyagainst the end of the 3; counterbored portion, which will correspo 11 10 in position with the bottom of the groove br f Thedott'ed lines in Figs. 2 and 3,shoran analogous mode of mounting the internal plai n 7 tube, 0, in combination with the corrugated tube. The pipe (3 is thus indicated as lying'z qs loosely .inelosed within the corrug ,tiiibe; abutting against the adjacent end'sof rigid pipes of sutiicicntl y smaller intermil'diameteri (Shown in-do'tted lines.) .Tlie'iuteriial tube, 0," is made sufficiently short to allow the'neccsnov sary amount ofeud-play.

The internal df-uneter of the ringer follower D may be,

as shown ijlittle grcuter than the greatest diameter 0t lie'corrugated tube A. So proportioned,it may be slipped back and forward freely "on the tube k. It is of course necessary, bcforc'the flanges A are formed up at both ends, to zipply thev two followers 1) upon the tube 1\-onc for the flange at each end. I propose in some cases to make the interual diameter of the followeis D less than. here shown, and shape them to match screw-. threads on the exterior of A. In such cases they must he slipped on and moved upon the terior of A by turning themaround like nu. he anges A may be produced by any eoppcrsmith by skillfully hammering outward the metal to form the flange. The follower l), supportcd on any suitable 13o cheeks, (not shown,-) may constitute the surfaces on which thehannnering may be efl'ected.; l

The operation ofscrewing the corrugated tubing on the part B will assist in turning the flange outward on the flange B.

t The follower D insures a firm pressure on 5 the flange A, extending continuously around, although the fasteningbolts -are only distributed at intervals. 1 claim as my invention 1. The combination of corrugated tube A,

io having flange A, inserted tube 0, and flanged thimble B, having the expansion-groove b, all

substantially as shown and set forth.

' 2. The flanged thimble B B,.with the exterior .of B screw-threaded, in combination with ing Witnesses.

:THOS. WM. DUFFY.

Witnesses:

WM. JAMIESON, S. G. METGALF. 

